‘To?’
‘Walk inside.’
‘I believe I’m capable of that,’ she said with a shy laugh. ‘Are you?’
He cleared his throat again. ‘Scarlet, Leah?’
‘Is it okay?’
‘Does it need to be?’ He finally smiled. ‘You don’t need my approval.’
‘Maybe I would like it.’
He took her hand and drew her close to his side. ‘It’s not my approval you have, Leah. It’s something else. Something raw. Something I can’t deny. Something I can’t turn off.’ He breathed out. ‘Who did your make-up?’
‘I did.’
‘You have skills.’
‘I didn’t let my mother stop me doing everything I was interested in. I just did it in secret. Sometimes.’
‘What else did you do in secret?’
She just smiled at him and shrugged.
‘I’m glad you’re not doing it in secret now,’ he admitted. ‘I’m glad you’re here letting the world see you.’
‘They’re seeing all right,’ she noted with a wry grimace and her nerves mushroomed. ‘They’re staring.’
He cocked his head and blinked at her with teasing arrogance. ‘What makes you think they’re staring at you? I’m the one they’re interested in.’
She choked on a giggle. ‘Good point.’
‘No.’ He shook his head. ‘They’re staring because you look stunning.’
Heat travelled all over her body and he wrapped his arm around her to draw her closer.
‘What are you doing?’ she half gasped.
‘You’re the one who wanted to be treated like my fiancée.’ He brushed a kiss against her cheek. ‘This is how I’d do that. I’d stay close and kiss her often.’
‘No, you wouldn’t,’ she breathed. ‘That’s not dignified enough for your grandfather.’
‘You think I’m too uptight for displays of affection?’
‘I think you’re conscious of your position and you modify your behaviour depending on who’s around.’
‘Doesn’t everyone?’ He laughed. ‘Isn’t that just good manners?’
‘But people still do what they want. They put themselves first. I don’t know that you do.’
‘Haven’t I done that with you once already?’ He stilled and faced her. ‘You want me to put my desires first and damn who’s watching? Damn the consequences?’
‘Can you?’
He cupped the nape of her neck, pulled her to him and kissed her. It was a long, luscious kiss.
He lifted his head and laughed down at her dazed expression. ‘You dared me to.’
She shook her head. ‘That was just part of your PR plan. You weren’t taking me seriously.’
‘If I did what I really wanted right now, we’d both be arrested.’
She felt his hard heat digging into her pelvis.
‘So now we have a problem,’ he muttered hotly. ‘I need you right here to preserve my blushes in front of all these people, but if you stay there, my little problem isn’t going to go away.’
‘Little problem?’ she echoed archly.
‘It’s a good thing you’re wearing trousers. If it was a skirt I’d have flipped it up and bent you over that piano already.’ He grinned at her gasp. ‘Sorry. Too honest?’ His smile faded. ‘I want you too much.’
‘You’ve got some of my lipstick.’ She gestured to her mouth, mirroring the placement of the smudge.
‘So help me.’ His slightly strangled-sounding request was oddly serious.
‘Theo Savas.’ A man interrupted them loudly and Theo instantly straightened, his expression smoothing back to reserved.
‘You can’t return to Athens and hide in the corner all evening.’ The stranger’s gaze skimmed over Leah, his eyes widening. ‘And you are?’
‘Leah Turner, my fiancée,’ Theo answered for her.
‘So the crazy rumours are correct?’ The man stared back at Theo.
‘They’re not crazy,’ Theo said coldly.
Rather rudely the man switched to Greek but frankly Leah was glad she didn’t have to listen. She extracted herself from Theo’s hold and with a small smile at him stepped aside to view the nearest painting.
As soon as she did, a designer-clad, stunningly polished woman swept over to her. ‘You’re Leah, aren’t you? Theo Savas’ fiancée.’
‘That’s correct.’ She smiled. ‘And you are?’
‘Phoebe, a friend of Theo’s. We’re delighted and intrigued that you could join us. We know nothing about you.’
Leah couldn’t help her little laugh. Not hiding the curiosity, was she? ‘What did you want to know?’
‘Everything, of course.’ The woman smiled back. ‘Where did you meet Theo?’
‘In London, a few months ago. It’s been a whirlwind.’
The woman nodded. ‘I’m not going to lie, we’re all stunned. I never imagined he’d settle down. Certainly not so soon.’
Leah recognised the sharp questions in the woman’s eyes but she gently shrugged and didn’t reply. Theo was right: sometimes it was better to remain silent.
‘Will you have lunch some time?’ the woman invited.
‘I’d like that very much, thank you.’ Leah answered honestly, even though she knew the woman really just wanted to mine her for information. But she also knew the way to get people to soften up was to get them speaking. ‘It’s important to me to get to know Theo’s world here in Athens and I’d love to see more of the city. What are some of your favourite spots?’
* * *
Having despatched his overly curious business acquaintance, Theo remained at a slight distance so he could watch her. Frankly he was still getting his head—and his libido—around her outfit. Her black trousers were nothing like her usual baggy jeans. These were silk and sleek, they sat ultra-low on her narrow waist and showed off the slim length of her legs. The scarlet blouse she had on top was almost sheer at the back, revealing a sweep of gleaming skin all the way down to the small of her back. The shirt hid that slight curve of her belly and he was glad people wouldn’t realise she was pregnant. Not yet. He was still getting used to that idea himself.
Her hair was entwined somehow into a low twist at the nape of her neck. She had a touch of make-up on—something to make her eyes seem even bigger, brighter, and a slash of red lipstick that made her mouth irresistibly kissable.
He shouldn’t have kissed her. Not because the world was watching, but because he wanted more. He wanted to know more too—what other secret dreams did she have? What other secret bold action did she want to take? This was the woman who’d thrown all caution to the wind that night with him. He’d been so privileged. He wanted her to feel that freedom with him again. He didn’t know why the desire was this strong but he was sure they needed to get rid of it. He’d hoped it would dissipate, that he could ignore it...but he couldn’t and he knew she couldn’t either. It would be better to exhaust it. Then they could move forward with a calm, easy plan for the future. It didn’t need
to be a big deal.
And people were staring at her. She was so tall, so striking. So sexy. But also that mandatory engagement notice had run in the newspaper and everyone was agog. He’d laughed off the swirling rumours about his grandfather’s quest to find him a suitable fiancée, but that he’d come back from London with a woman?
He couldn’t help moving closer again—that protective urge rising even when he knew Leah didn’t want it, or need it, given the apparent ease with which she was talking to Phoebe Mikos. But he needed it. He stood alongside her, listening as she asked more questions than she answered. She politely asked about places to see, things to do, intuitively making the most of these people’s pride in their city, but she did it with an artless charm that made everyone around her smile.
‘Do you mind if we leave, Leah?’ he asked her eventually.
She turned to him and he saw the relief in her eyes. He drew her out and quietly directed his driver to take them to the Athens villa.
‘You enjoyed yourself?’ he asked as she stifled a yawn.
‘It wasn’t too bad,’ she murmured. ‘Your friends aren’t so scary.’
‘They’re not all friends,’ he couldn’t help warning despite having seen her at ease there. The worry within him bloomed again.
‘Competitors? Rivals? Threats?’ She chuckled. ‘None of those people could hurt you.’
‘No?’ Her certainty burned somehow. ‘Do you think I don’t feel anything?’ he asked—even when he’d been the one trying to convince himself that he didn’t. ‘That I’m inhuman somehow?’
It was stupid to even ask. He’d been the one to tell her he couldn’t love anyone—and that was true, wasn’t it? It had to be.
She turned to face him. Her eyes were like deep pools and he just wanted to dive in.
‘No. I know you’ve been hurt,’ she breathed. ‘I just don’t know how.’
He rejected her words. But her vulnerability shone through—all that soft emotion pierced his own defence. He should say nothing but when she looked at him like that he couldn’t help himself.
‘They could hurt you,’ he muttered.
‘So it’s me you’re worried about?’ She shook her head. ‘I can let it wash over me.’ Her frown formed as he said nothing. ‘You don’t believe me?’